MIAMI, Oct. 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ambulero
Inc., a biotechnology company (“Ambulero” or the “Company”) developing
new cell and gene therapy treatments for patients suffering from severe
vascular disease, today announced that the U.S. FDA’s Office For Orphan
Products Development (OOPD) granted the company’s request for orphan
drug status for its gene therapy candidate, AMB-301, to treat Buerger’s
Disease (BD), also known as Thromboangiitis Obliterans (TAO).
AMB-301
is a first-in-class gene therapy vector encoding a cell adhesion
molecule (E-selectin). Over a decade of research in animal models of
vascular disease suggests that providing E-selectin to damaged blood
vessels promotes therapeutic angiogenesis, robust tissue regeneration
and improved limb function.
BD is a debilitating vascular
disease that can lead to severe limb damage and amputation, often in
relatively young patients. There are no effective treatments and
existing therapies are largely ineffective. AMB-301 is a promising gene
therapy candidate for enhancing blood vessel formation, restoring tissue
integrity and eliminating the need for amputation as a treatment
option.
The FDA’s orphan drug designation provides AMB-301 with
seven (7) years of market exclusivity for the treatment of BD if
approved. The FDA grants orphan designations to medical products showing
promise to treat diseases that affect 200,000 or fewer Americans. The
company is also eligible for certain tax credits and regulatory benefits
with the FDA designation.
“Ambulero is honored to receive this
important FDA recognition. Should clinical testing be successful, we
believe our first-in-class gene therapy platform will provide new
treatment options to patients suffering from BD and potentially other
vascular diseases. The Orphan Drug Designation should also help expedite
our BD clinical trial timeline,” said Robert L. Buchanan, Chief
Executive Officer of Ambulero, Inc.
“It is very rewarding to
offer a potential new therapy to so many patients facing amputation as
the only treatment option for their disease,” said Carlton Anderson,
Chief Operating Officer of Ambulero, Inc.
Ambulero’s Chief
Regulatory Officer, Dr. Khemraj (Raj) Hirani added, “Receiving Orphan
Drug Designation for AMB-301 is a significant step forward for BD
patients and confirms the potential of our novel E-selectin based
platform technology to accelerate clinical development.”
About Ambulero Ambulero
is a privately-held biotechnology company advancing a new platform of
cell and gene therapies to treat serious vascular diseases. The company
is a recent spin-out of the University of Miami co-founded by Randy
Berholtz, Robert L. Buchanan, Omaida C. Velazquez and Zhao-Jun Liu.
Ambulero’s cell therapy program uses stromal cells engineered to express
E-selectin to promote tissue repair. The company’s gene therapy program
uses established approaches to administer E-selectin directly to
injured vascular tissues. Ambulero is currently sourcing investors for a
Series A round. See www.ambulero.com
BioFlorida is the voice of Florida's life sciences industry, representing 8,600 establishments and research organizations in the BioPharma, MedTech, Digital Health and Health Systems that collectively employ nearly 107,000 Floridians. Source: TEConomy/BIO (released 2022)